The NACD -- Another Reason to NOT be a Member!

As everyone knows, I used to be heavily involved with the NACD (National Association for Cave Diving). However, the course the organization has taken over the past few years has proven to me that it is nothing more than a group of instructors that want to make money using NACD members’ dues and not do anything for themselves.

To me, it is proven by the fact that not all NACD BoD members are actual members of the NACD (WTF?) and that the BoD gives away NACD memberships to people they want things from. Let's look at a couple of the stellar individuals in the current field running for the NACD BoD.

  1. Bill Lester. A self-anointed something that seems to hold himself in much higher regard than anyone else in the cave community (if you don't love yourself, who will?) that was officially described by the NACD BoD with "the Board of the NACD holds Mr. Lester to a higher standard of professional conduct, and has voted, unanimously, to remove Mr. Lester from the positions of Journal Editor and Chairman of the Science and Technology Committee". After that, I find it hard to believe he was vetted to run for the BoD of the NACD. I guess if we look at who the NACD is today it isn't hard to believe. This is simply his reward for standing up for the NACD BoDs stand on retaining a convicted criminal as an instructor for the NACD. Reading Bill Lester's platform statement makes me wonder if it is he who is running or the deceased Debra Green. Bill "I make copyright infringement websites and then get slapped for it (remember your lies against Jim Wyatt?)" Lester or Debra Green. Does he really have to mention Debra's name 5 times? I wonder why he simply doesn't post pictures of himself (dressed in drag) and Larry Green holding hands to show how badly he wants to replace/be Debra.
  2. Jeff Bauer. The previous, milquetoast, president of the NACD that proclaimed "F**K it" when faced with dealing with the fact that Johnny Richards (NACD instructor of the year) was convicted on cocaine charges. Anyone remember what Jeff did? Jeff quit! Sounds like a great guy for the NACD BoD -- a quitter. I feel his platform statement should be "vote for me, if things get tough, I'll just quit". In my opinion, Jeff is just looking for more student referrals. That is what being on the NACD BoD means right -- student referrals?

For those of you that are still members of the NACD (why?), if you really want to make a difference in the cave community, stop paying your dues and donate your time and money to a cave organization who's apparent agenda is not making money off the backs of the membership. Instead of sending in your ballot (yeah, you can't vote electronically) send in your resignation!